Expanding on Dave Reid's post, here is the link to the NTSB press release (with pictures.)
https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-rele...R20170322.aspx
Considering how fast this aircraft was going when they found that it would not rotate, I doubt that there were any better options available. This crew gets an attaboy in my book.
The DC-9/MD-80 elevators have a mind of their own at rest since there is no direct connection to the elevator from the control column. Jet blast and wind can move them to extreme positions. If one knew to look for the bent piece in the NTSB picture, then you could discover the problem before flight. As old as this series of aircraft is, there should have been some prior experiences with the problem. It will be interesting to see what the NTSB says about this.